How Involved is the EU’s Youth in Policy Making?
Youth participation in policy making within the European Union (EU) is essential for creating a democratic society that reflects the diverse perspectives of its citizens. Despite various initiatives aimed at increasing engagement, youth involvement in formal political processes remains a significant challenge. Comprehensive studies have highlighted that socio-demographic factors such as age, education, and social class significantly influence political participation among young people. For instance, younger individuals, particularly those aged 18-24, are more inclined to engage in informal political activities, such as joining organisations, rather than participating in formal politics like voting.
The European Youth Forum[1] has been a central advocate for youth involvement, stressing that youth engagement is crucial for addressing contemporary democratic challenges. This forum underscores the necessity of understanding the determinants of youth political participation, which vary significantly across different European countries. The maturity of a democracy plays a critical role; established democracies typically exhibit higher levels of youth participation compared to newer democracies, where political involvement is less ingrained as a societal norm.
In addition to the efforts of the European Youth Forum, grassroots organisations like the European Defence Network and the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA) play a critical role in promoting youth engagement in defence policy making. These organisations work at the community level to encourage youth participation and provide platforms for young people to voice their opinions on security and defence issues. They complement larger initiatives by focusing on specific areas of interest and offering practical opportunities for youth to get involved.
The EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 aims to enhance youth participation in policymaking by promoting various activities and providing platforms for youth voices to be heard. Initiatives such as the European Youth Event and the EU Youth Test create direct lines of communication between young people and EU lawmakers, fostering a more inclusive decision-making process.
Despite these efforts, the Eurobarometer surveys reveal persistent barriers to youth engagement. These include a lack of understanding of political processes and a sense of disconnection from traditional political institutions. Additionally, the levels of youth participation fluctuate based on circumstances, such as the political climate and socio-economic conditions, indicating that engagement is not consistently high across the board. This inconsistency points to a broader issue: despite numerous initiatives, the overall participation of youth in formal political processes has not significantly improved over the years.
One reason for the stagnation in youth participation is the inadequate addressing of the root causes that discourage young people from engaging in politics. These include perceived ineffectiveness of political institutions, lack of trust in political leaders, and the complexity of political processes which can be daunting for younger citizens. Moreover, while there are numerous programs aimed at increasing youth participation, they often fail to reach marginalised youth who face additional barriers such as economic disadvantages and limited access to education.
In the words of EDN’s Head of Events and Political Support Officer at the UK Joint Delegation to NATO, Joana Good Da Silva, “EU’s Youth believe that European and global Security is now more important ever with the rise of far-right, the war in Ukraine, Middle-East, instability in Africa and migration issues. Their awareness to tackle security challenges is increasing significantly”. To address these challenges and foster meaningful youth engagement in policy making, it is essential to go beyond surface-level initiatives and tackle the underlying issues that hinder youth participation. This includes providing comprehensive civic education, ensuring that political institutions are more transparent and accountable, and creating more inclusive platforms that actively seek out and engage youth from diverse backgrounds.
What Do EU’s Youth Think About Security?
Security issues, including migration, defence spending, and the conflict in Ukraine, are of significant concern to EU youth. According to Eurobarometer data, a large majority of Europeans support a common defence and security policy among EU countries (77%), and 71% agree on the need to reinforce the EU’s capacity to produce military equipment. Furthermore, 69% of citizens favour a common foreign policy for EU Member States, reflecting a strong inclination towards unified and cohesive security strategies (European Commission, 2022).
Young people in the EU perceive the Union as a stabilising force in a turbulent world, with 67% agreeing that the EU contributes to global stability. Additionally, 69% believe that the EU has sufficient power and tools to defend Europe’s economic interests globally. These perspectives underline the importance of the EU’s role in maintaining security and economic stability, which are critical to the youth’s future (European Commission, 2022).
However, the rise of social media has amplified the challenges of misinformation and disinformation, significantly impacting young people’s decision-making processes. The rapid spread of false information can skew perceptions of security issues, leading to misinformed opinions and decisions. This is particularly concerning in the context of voting, spreading awareness, calling to action, engaging in social activism, or participating in legislative consultations.
To combat these challenges, both international and national institutions must adapt their strategic communications to ensure that youths receive accurate information. Effective strategies include enhancing digital literacy programs to teach critical analysis skills, increasing transparency in communications, and collaborating with social media platforms to identify and mitigate the spread of false information. Ensuring that young people can access reliable information is essential for their informed participation in security and policy matters.
The European Youth Forum’s policy papers emphasise the role of young people in building peaceful societies. These papers advocate for recognizing youth as key actors in peacebuilding and conflict prevention, aligning with the United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 2250, 2419, and 2535. These resolutions highlight the importance of youth involvement in preventing conflict and building sustainable peace (European Youth Forum, 2022).
Furthermore, the Youth Progress Index presents a sobering analysis of the quality of life for young people in Europe. It indicates stagnation in youth development since 2011, with little progress in areas such as wellbeing, access to rights, and quality of living. This stagnation is attributed to various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, threats to democracy and civic space, and the pervasive issue of misinformation (European Youth Forum, 2022). The index underscores the pressing need for comprehensive policies that address these challenges and improve the living conditions for young Europeans.
The findings from these reports suggest that while EU youth are generally supportive of stronger security and defence policies, their participation in policymaking is influenced by multiple factors, including socio-demographic variables and the maturity of democratic institutions in their countries
However, increasing youth participation in policymaking is not without its challenges. Young people often face barriers such as limited access to political platforms, lack of representation, and socio-economic obstacles that hinder their active engagement. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach that goes beyond mere inclusion. It necessitates targeted efforts to understand and cater to the diverse needs of the youth population. By doing so, the EU can foster a more effective and inclusive policy environment. This sets the stage for concrete recommendations aimed at enhancing youth engagement in security issues, particularly through the implementation of the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda for instance.
Recommendations for Enhancing Youth Engagement in Security Issues
The EU Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda is a comprehensive framework aimed at recognizing and promoting the critical role of young people in peacebuilding and conflict prevention. It is grounded in UN Security Council Resolution 2250, which highlights the importance of youth participation in decision-making processes related to peace and security. The YPS agenda seeks to empower young people by providing them with the tools, resources, and opportunities needed to contribute effectively to conflict resolution, governance, and sustainable development. It emphasises the need for inclusive and youth-sensitive policies that address the root causes of violence and instability, ensuring that young voices are integral to shaping a peaceful and secure future.
To enhance the EU’s implementation of the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected areas, several key recommendations from young civil society experts should be considered. At the European Defence Network, a grassroots organisation of young professionals tackling these issues, we believe the EU must engage with and support diverse young people, recognizing that youth are not a homogeneous group. This involves developing tools to identify and engage diverse young individuals, ensuring robust gender analysis and gender-responsive programming, and addressing the unique needs of those from marginalised communities.
Decision-makers should approach youth-participation in security and defence issues as a fundamental cause linked to peacebuilding, governance, development, and human rights, rather than adopting a securitized approach that focuses excessively on state-centric security and counter-terrorism. Addressing grievances and inequalities driving youth towards political violence and extremism is crucial, alongside ensuring youth-sensitive security sector reform and facilitating youth mobility for engagement and exchange.
Strengthening consultation and engagement with young people within EU delegations is essential. These efforts include appointing adequately trained youth focal points whose main responsibility is youth engagement, and ensuring youth engagement is systematic and well-resourced. Moreover, youth focal points should avoid reinforcing exclusionary structures and should actively participate in youth activities to build connections. On this topic, Joana Good da Silva (Portugal, Political Support Officer at the UK Joint Delegation to NATO and EDN’s Head of Events) argues that “associations like EuroDefense Youth Organisations across Europe have played an important role in contributing to EU policy making. For instance, in 2021, EuroDefense Youth Portugal sent a folder to the European Commission with a set of recommendations related to European Security and Defence matters in line with the Conference on the Future of Europe”.
Incorporating young people into conflict analysis processes and ensuring their meaningful participation in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of EU programs is vital. For instance, one of our members, Elena Corpas (Spain, Partnerships Assistant for Social Innovation and International Security student) argues that a good recommendation would be to establish an intensive fellowship program. “The program would select European youth organisations in security and defence to compete, along with their teams, in developing projects on a specific topic. That way, the teams receive mentorship from senior experts during the development of their projects, creating connections and advancing their innovative ideas. In the end, a panel of judges evaluates the proposals and awards a monetary prize to the winning team, but all participants benefit from the mentorship and development process”, she suggests.
In political dialogues, the EU should promote the direct participation of young people in political processes and governance institutions. This includes providing specific funding and resources, supporting capacity-building programs, and ensuring protocols for youth engagement and protection. The EU should bridge gaps between youth-led initiatives and authorities, promoting youth participation in peace processes and making peace negotiations more transparent and inclusive. As Joana Good da Silva argues, “there should be more liaising between EU institutions and EU youth associations focusing on Security and Defence issues. Articles written by youngsters in these youth organisations should be shared with EU organisms and recommendations elaborated in events/workshops done by Youth should be shared with high-level personalities working in security and defence issues within the EU.”
And more importantly, the EU should support and strengthen inclusive youth networks and institutions that promote dialogue and idea exchange among youth. Adequate resources and cooperation channels should be established to involve these networks in EU decision-making processes. The EU must ensure these networks are truly inclusive and not dominated by any particular group or instrumentalized by authorities. According to Keso Gigitashvili (Georgia, EDN member and Entity Control Board Chair of AIESEC), “engaging youth more in these issues would be possible if youth think tanks, NGOs, etc are given more access to decision-making processes, given more financial means to research, to explore the solutions for these issues and then present them to the government officials. Creating youth advisory boards on a multinational level, engaging more youth civil society groups in it would be, to my mind, one of the best ways to engage youth more in these issues.”
All in all, it would give to today’s youth in Europe, who are the future of European leadership, understanding and meaning in defence issues, which are key triggers for engagement. This is the conviction of our President, Brice Lefebvre: “Current times are bringing awareness of the criticality of reinforcing defence and security. Youth is the age of strong ideals and commitment, and these should also irrigate our defence industries, forces and institutions. This is why we need the established European actors to engage with the young generation to help them find purpose in this field. And we need independent youth frameworks, such as the EDN, to be the vehicles where their engagement can start beyond borders. This is necessary if we want to tackle the challenges ahead.”
Doing so would ensure that its strategies on peace and security are youth-sensitive and gender-sensitive, support youth-led initiatives in peacebuilding, and address the links between climate change and conflict. Providing adequate, accessible, and flexible funding to youth groups is crucial, as is engaging young people through intergenerational approaches and areas of interest to them, such as arts, sports, and popular culture.
Moreno Vegas, M.G., Head of Partnerships for European Defence Network.
Madrid, 29th May 2024
[1] The European Youth Forum is the biggest platform of youth organisations in Europe, representing over 100 youth organisations, which bring together tens of millions of young people from all over Europe. The European Youth Forum works to empower young people to participate actively in society to improve their own lives and advocates for their rights. The Youth Forum promotes youth participation, making young people catalysts for positive change and contributors of innovative solutions to Europe’s challenges. Retrieved from: https://www.youthforum.org/
What is the European Defence Network?
Created in 2020, the European Defence Network is an independent youth association aiming at bringing together European students and young professionals interested in defence topics with a European approach. Our mission is to provide a platform to learn, exchange and meet beyond national borders. By connecting and training people to solve tomorrow’s challenges, our ambition is to contribute to the public debate and enable a new generation of leaders. Our values are based on committing to the heritage of Europe’s founding fathers, and support European defence integration through concrete steps. And our pillars are to build an integrated perspective of defence topics through industrial, military and political angles. Right now we account for more than 50 members aged 18-35 in 8 countries across Europe, and our work ranges from conferences, seminars and events, a newsfeed and podcast, and studies on buzzing topics.
